[[Image:Irenaios Skopeliti.jpg|right|Patriarch Irenaios I of Jerusalem]]

[[Image:Irenaios Skopeliti.jpg|right|Patriarch Irenaios I of Jerusalem]]

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Fr. '''Irenaios (Skopelitis)''' is the former [[patriarch]] of the [[Church of Jerusalem]] (2001-2005).

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Fr. '''Irenaios (Skopelitis)''' was the [[patriarch]] of the [[Church of Jerusalem]] from 2001 to 2005. Patr. Irenaios was [[deposition|deposed]] by the Holy Synods of the [[Church of Jerusalem]] and the [[Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre]] for unauthorized sale of church property.

==Life==

==Life==

Born '''Emmanouil Skopelitis''' in April 1939, Irenaios was elected [[primate]] of the [[Church of Jerusalem]] on [[August 13]], 2001 in the [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Jerusalem)|Church of the Holy Sepulchre]].

Born '''Emmanouil Skopelitis''' in April 1939, Irenaios was elected [[primate]] of the [[Church of Jerusalem]] on [[August 13]], 2001 in the [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Jerusalem)|Church of the Holy Sepulchre]].

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He was enthroned on [[September 15]], 2001, as the 140th ''Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine, Syria, beyond the Jordan River, Cana of Galilee and Holy Zion'' in the presence of senior church and secular dignitaries, including Archbishop Christodoulos of the [[Church of Greece]] and Metropolitan Nicholas of the [[Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia]].

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He was enthroned on [[September 15]], 2001, as the 140th ''Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine, Syria, beyond the Jordan River, Cana of Galilee and Holy Zion'' in the presence of senior church and secular dignitaries, including Archbishop [[Christodoulos (Paraskevaides) of Athens|Christodoulos]] of the [[Church of Greece]] and Metropolitan Nicholas of the [[Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia]].

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He was born on the Island of Samos in Greece and came to Jerusalem in 1953 and served for many years as [[exarch]] of the Holy Sepulchre in Athens.

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He was born on the Island of Samos in Greece and came to Jerusalem in 1953 and served for many years as [[exarch]] of the Holy Sepulchre in Athens.

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Only a few years into Irenaios's patriarchate, he became embroiled in bitter controversy. Several parcels of church-owned land in the Old City of Jerusalem were sold to Israeli developers. As most of the Orthodox Christians in the region are Palestinian, and the land was in a Arab-populated area that most Palestinians hoped would become as a part of a future Palestinian capital, this caused a great deal of outrage among Church members. On [[May 5]], 2005, most of the [[Holy Synod]] of Jerusalem announced in a letter they had broken off contact with Patriarch Irenaios, and regard him as dismissed as Patriarch of Jerusalem.

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Only a few years into Irenaios's patriarchate, he became embroiled in bitter controversy. Several parcels of church-owned land in the Old City of Jerusalem were sold to Israeli developers. As most of the Orthodox Christians in the region are Palestinian, and the land was in a Arab-populated area that most Palestinians hoped would become as a part of a future Palestinian capital, this caused a great deal of outrage among Church members. On [[May 5]], 2005, most of the [[Holy Synod]] of Jerusalem announced in a letter they had broken relations with Patr. Irenaios, and regarded him as dismissed as Patriarch of Jerusalem.

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The decision reached by the Holy Synod of the [[Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre]] was made final on [[May 6]], 2005 by a two-thirds vote of that body. Irenaios thus officially ceased to be patriarch at that point.

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The decision reached by the Holy Synod of the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre was made final on [[May 6]], 2005 by a two-thirds vote of that body. Irenaios thus officially ceased to be patriarch at that point.

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On [[May 24]], 2005, a special Pan-Orthodox [[synod]] was convened in Constantinople to review the decisions of the Holy Synod of Jerusalem. The Pan-Orthodox Synod under the presidency of Ecumenical Patriarch [[Bartholomew I (Archontonis) of Constantinople]] voted overwhelmingly to confirm the decision of the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulcher and to strike Irenaios's name from the [[diptychs]], and on [[May 30]], Jerusalem's Holy Synod chose Metropolitan [[Cornelius (Rodousakis) of Petra]] to serve as ''[[locum tenens]]'' pending the election of a replacement for Irenaios.

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On [[May 24]], 2005, a special Pan-Orthodox [[synod]] was convened in Constantinople to review the decisions of the Holy Synod of Jerusalem. The Pan-Orthodox Synod under the presidency of Ecumenical Patriarch [[Bartholomew I (Archontonis) of Constantinople]] voted overwhelmingly to confirm the decision of the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre and to strike Irenaios's name from the [[diptychs]], and on [[May 30]], Jerusalem's Holy Synod chose Metropolitan [[Cornelius (Rodousakis) of Petra]] to serve as ''[[locum tenens]]'' pending the election of a replacement for Irenaios.

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On [[June 16]], 2005, Irenaios was [[laicization|laicized]] by Jerusalem's Holy Synod, reducing him to the rank of a [[monk]].

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On [[June 16]], 2005, Irenaios was [[laicization|laicized]] by Jerusalem's Holy Synod, so he is now known simply as the [[monk]] Irenaios.

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On January 6, 2011, the Associated Press released an article claiming that Irenaios refused to recognize the deposition, considered himself the legitimate Patriarch, and that he has been under house arrest for years.

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On February 9. 2011, Metropolitan [[Agafangel (Pashkovsky) of Odessa|Agafangel]] of the [[Russian Orthodox Church Abroad - Provisional Supreme Church Authority|ROCOR-A]], sometimes called the "PSCA", stated on his LiveJournal that his jurisdiction had formally established communion with Irenaios. [http://agafa-angel.livejournal.com/34131.html]

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title=[[Church of Jerusalem|Patriarch of Jerusalem]]|

title=[[Church of Jerusalem|Patriarch of Jerusalem]]|

years=2001-2005|

years=2001-2005|

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after=[[Theophilus III of Jerusalem|Theophilus III]]}}

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after=[[Theophilus III (Giannopoulos) of Jerusalem|Theophilus III]]}}

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==External links==

==External links==

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* [http://www.monastery.org/patriarchate.html Biography of Patriarch Irenaios and other facts about Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem]

He was born on the Island of Samos in Greece and came to Jerusalem in 1953 and served for many years as exarch of the Holy Sepulchre in Athens.

Only a few years into Irenaios's patriarchate, he became embroiled in bitter controversy. Several parcels of church-owned land in the Old City of Jerusalem were sold to Israeli developers. As most of the Orthodox Christians in the region are Palestinian, and the land was in a Arab-populated area that most Palestinians hoped would become as a part of a future Palestinian capital, this caused a great deal of outrage among Church members. On May 5, 2005, most of the Holy Synod of Jerusalem announced in a letter they had broken relations with Patr. Irenaios, and regarded him as dismissed as Patriarch of Jerusalem.

The decision reached by the Holy Synod of the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre was made final on May 6, 2005 by a two-thirds vote of that body. Irenaios thus officially ceased to be patriarch at that point.

On June 16, 2005, Irenaios was laicized by Jerusalem's Holy Synod, so he is now known simply as the monk Irenaios.

On January 6, 2011, the Associated Press released an article claiming that Irenaios refused to recognize the deposition, considered himself the legitimate Patriarch, and that he has been under house arrest for years.

On February 9. 2011, Metropolitan Agafangel of the ROCOR-A, sometimes called the "PSCA", stated on his LiveJournal that his jurisdiction had formally established communion with Irenaios. [1]